Real Army Wives: Time to Build a Support Network

The Real Army Wives Series: Time to Build a Support Network

******This is the 12th chapter in the series The Real Army Wives, stories from a young military bride at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003.****** Previous chapter: When Alan First Deployed: My New Friends at 9-1-1. Getting Help I followed through with my vow from the previous night to hop off this crazy train and get myself some help. What kind of help, I had no idea, but I figured I’d try the doctor’s office first. Military clinics are a […]

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Moving Day, the Surprise Party, and the Power of Good Neighbors

On Friday night, I snuck into my home town. My parents were expecting me at 8:45pm, but truthfully I arrived at 7:30 or so, but I didn’t want them to know that. They were still staying at the rental house, but I did not go straight to the rental house. I went by my childhood friend, Kristy’s, house. We were on a mission, you see. I grew up playing with Kristy and the other neighborhood kids. Kristy’s grandparents lived next […]

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I am a sucker for a rescue.

Do you love a good rescue story? Man, I am a sucker for a rescue. Lately, I’ve been feeling down. I’ve been letting circumstances get to me. I’m still pouting over losing my people in this move. I still have my family, my most important people. But I lost my support groups. I lost my friends. Friends are a tricky thing to replace. The thing is you can’t replace them because no two people are the same. It’s not possible. […]

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A Letter of Hope from 2003

This week is Veteran’s Day, and as the wife of a veteran it’s a holiday full of meaning for me. In honor of Veteran’s Day, I thought I’d share this letter that I wrote to Alan on New Year’s Eve, 2003. Alan was in Iraq, and I was living in Texas. What started out as this nightmarish, depressing event (sending my husband to war–I was all of 22 years old) had gradually turned into a year of growth and new […]

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“Are you so happy, Mom?”

John David asks me one question every single day. “Mom, are you so happy? I just want you be happy, Mom.” If I cry, he can’t take it. “No, Mom! I just want you be happy!” If I get stressed and start rushing around, “Mom, I just want you be happy!” If he’s in trouble for something, well, if John David gets in trouble for something he does that thing that little kids do that will melt your heart. He […]

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A Place to Write Out Answered Prayers

Yesterday we sang this song at church. I wish I could remember the name of it, but it was something like “Do you remember?” I could not stop my tears while singing this song. Sometimes, I have this problem that once my water works start it feels impossible to turn them off!! All of a sudden, I lose all ability to be tough or cool. I become total mush. Does that happen to you? It’s embarrassing, but it’s healing, and sometimes […]

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What are God’s promises in the hard times or even the hectic times?

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  Ephesians 6:16 You know that feeling when you wish you could get a do-over? Dear 2016, here’s my white flag. I would like to go back and try again, sort of like the chute right smack in the middle of Chutes and Ladders that takes you right back to start. I have learned an abundance of […]

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10 Things to Try When You’re Feeling Achy

    Have you ever felt old before your time or just achy all over the place?  I keep wondering. Is this just getting older? Or is this a problem that can be fixed? And how do you know which is which? Several of my readers liked the video with the stretching tips for hip pain, so today I’m including a stretching video for heel/foot pain and swelling. This is another nuisance that I deal with that I think is […]

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How in the world are you going to home school?

This past week had the potential to be a total nightmare. This is “Finals Week” of the 3rd quarter for Alan, and I’m the kind of person that can only handle all four of my own children, by myself, for so long. Enter the in-laws. Their timing was perfect. Well, for me it was anyway. They probably would have liked to have spent more time with their son, sure, but I really just needed someone to take my mind off […]

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I did try.

The day I tried to take sleepy JD to Joshua’s basketball game…. Today is Joshua’s very first basketball game. I would love to be there right now, cheering that boy on. Go, Joshua!!! Actually, I WAS there. I just didn’t get to stay for more than 5 minutes. John David still seems to be in charge of my schedule. We can try to pretend like our baby doesn’t run our schedule, but we’re really just kidding ourselves. “Oh, I can’t […]

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